Well, Alrighty Then

The wheel I ordered is a Kromski Minstrel, purchased from Copper Moose. According to the UPS tracking info, she will be here tomorrow (gasp). Not bad — purchased on a Wednesday and she arrives on a Friday? And I was expecting it to take a week or more.

I’m going to name her Katarina. I hope she’ll like living in my home. I hope we manage to assemble her, though I understand that’s fairly easy. Fairly. I found the assembly instructions online and read through them.

Katarina was last spotted at 3:44 pm today, heading north from Richmond. I love UPS tracking!

Secret Pal 3 Goodies!

I got a package from my wonderful Secret Pal 3. Lookie here!

A bag of delicious nougats (and don’t ask me how I know they’re delicious — hee hee!), an envelope of home grown verbena for tea (and I love herbal teas!) and some beautiful beautiful Anny Blatt Angora in a gorgeous sea green shade.

Thank you, SP3!!

And that’s not all!

Now lookie here!

A box o’ fibery goodness from the wonderful Andrea J! These are samples of all sorts of wonderful stuff from her and and her friends Janet B., Janet W., and Judi in her SpinandEat group.

And she included this:

A wee tiny spindle. Isn’t it precious? How wee tiny is it?

For purposes of scale.

The whorl is aventurine. Andrea sent it with the fiber-in-process on it, and of course I picked it up and attempted to spin a bit more. To my very great surprise, I was able to make some equivalent laceweight yarn with it!

Thank you Andrea! What a lovely and generous surprise!

The Shawl, She Grows

And even though the rows are getting longer and longer, I’m still loving working on it.

The silk I’m spinning matches it nicely.

The Mohair Pictured in Yesterday’s Blog Entry

Well I just had to spin up a sample of it, didn’t I? Wowie wow wow! I love it!

Hey Jen!

The Guanaco arrived! The Guanaco arrived! And all I can do is gasp and drool helplessly.

This is my last post of the week. I’ll be back Sunday night. I am finding this posting in the evening much easier. Why did I not think of that before? I am thinking of my blog as less of an arduous task and more of a fun thing again. Which is a good thing.

What else is a good thing? I’m taking all of next week off from work. Wheeeeee!

Comments

Wendy, Can’t believe I am first to comment! You are such fun to read! I came back tonight to write down the hat pattern and found you posted tonight. Congrats on the wheel and can’t wait to see the pictures.
Sherri

I hear you on the ever increasing row length stuff. I’m working on a raglan now, and those 8 stitches I add on ever other row are really adding up. Thankfully I only have 10 rows to go before I get to throw a bunch of those stitches onto scrap yarn (for eventual sleeves) and slim down what I’m working on.

You are enabling me with your wheel purchase. This is not a good thing! I have 3 WIPs, and 2 more lined up. Yet seeing that you went ahead and just got that wheel makes me want to go ahead and purchase yarn for the project I want to work on after I’m done with the heaping mound on my plate now. I’ve decided to use your Baby norgi pattern on knitty as a way to learn Fair Isle. I wish that there were 40 hours in a day and that money would just appear in my bank account without having to do actual work at my actual job. Silly knitting bug!

I’m wondering about that shawl. I started one done exactly like that about a year ago and I don’t know where to stop. Won’t it get much too wide before it gets long enough? I can’t figure it out. So I did the smart thing — put it in the closet and shut the door. But now you’ve got me wanting to complete it. What do you think?
Thanks,
Sally

Hi Wendy!
So glad you’re a spinner now too! All of your dedication to the drop spindles will mean you have no trouble sitting down to the wheel, really. I wanted to ask you about that silk cap you’re spinning, I’ve got one but I don’t really know where to begin and the woman who sold it to me said something about ‘lemon juice on your hands to keep the silk from sticking???’

dear god women!!! You have more spindles then any women I have ever seen for being um.. 1 week?? 2 weeks?? into spinning. I couldn’t believe you got that expensive sunflower one so quick. So do you just like KNOW you will enjoy it enough to buy that stuff? I FORCE myself to get the less expensive stuff and I have forced myself not to get a wheel yet.. not being sure if I just love doing it NOW or if I will continue to love doing it..

*sigh*

Your spinning is looking so fab tho girl, keep it up!! Can you not wait to knit a sweater out of yarn YOU MADE?? soooo cool!

Oh, neato. I seriously contemplated a Minstrel when looking around for a wheel…had I known how dang cool double drive is back then, I would definitely have chosen it over the Louet. Also neat how you can switch to Scotch tension if you want to.

Copper Moose is great, although I’ve taken to calling them Copper Noose. I’ve bought more spinning fiber than yarn in the past month thanks to them, they’re killing me. 😛

I love the recent spinning content – I bought some fleece about a year and tried. I couldn’t believe the videos that were linked here the other day. I’m going to try again! What does Ian think of this? My husband was VERY concerned and said he absolutely draws the line at this – in other words, we will not be putting sheep on our (city) property!!

Wendy…. You are going to love spinning with your new spinning wheel. Welcome to the “art” of spinning your own yarn.

Soon you will find yourself wanting to learn to dye you own fiber, wanting raw fleece, a drum carder and much, much more.

Earlier this year…..I began wanting to learn to spin because I started designing knitted/felted purses. I soon realized that I wanted to spin my own wools and eventually dye the wool in colors I wanted. So… I bought a spindle, had already bought wool a year ago. Asked for some help from my local store where I bought the spindle. Not much help provided and only wanted to push classes which did not begin for several months. I needed to learn at that time….. not months later. After that visit I decided to visit a fiber event in April. I was helped with spinning with the spindle…. then while buying fiber I spotted a wheel that I liked. I decided to think about it…. moments later…. I turned back around, almost running to the vendor to buy that spinning wheel. I was so excited that I did not ask for help learning to spin with it. I know…. not a smart thing. But… I worked with it over the weekend and managed to spin my first 2 spools of yarn to ply. I was hooked. I have now visited several more fiber events, bought alpaca from a local farm and also visited a local wool buyer where I can buy raw wool very inexpensively. $2.00 (all other wools) – $4.00 lb (merino/rambouillet) for raw wool. I also can buy top wool for a very good price for dying and some that is already dyed.

I now have started selling my dyed wools and yarns in addition to my handmade natural soaps, lotions, bath/body products.

Spinning has been so relaxing and such a great way to release stress. Very addictive once you get started and find that one has to have more and more fiber.

By the way…. I love what you have spun so far. You are doing very well. Spinning with a spinning wheel will be even more fun. And we think knitting is addictive….. LOL!!!! Spinning just opens up a entirely new avenue to being even more creative with our knitting projects and designing.

Oh… do some online searching for a local weavers and/or spinning guild. These guilds offer so much to help with the learning process and very nice people.

Wendy, Wendy, Wendy. This is too funny. I did exactly the same thing about 15 years ago that you are doing now with spinning. However, the choices out there now because of the internet are amazing. Spinning is soooo addictive. I absolutely love everything about fiber…all of them, even the smell of raw fleece. There is fiber all over my dining room, no one wants to eat there. My wheel is in my kitchen. I have some alpaca from an animal whose name (Winston)I know, who lives in Orange VA. Don’t apologize for anything, just enjoy it. And, had I known that your wheel was coming this way…

Well. A wheel. Mazeltov! Good thing you are taking a week off to help make Katerina feel comfortable at your place … and most likely, work her ass off. *lol*

BEautiful spindles, fiber, yarn, et al.

A plea: I know you said the shawl is L-B’s made up pattern easy as pahhhhhhhhhhhh … but for beginners like myself who have decided they MUST try to make their first shawl … inspired by yours … might L-B sell a pattern that detailed that simplistic process? And might yourself make a reco (priced or not) as to how to put a shwl like the one you’re making together …yardage and all?

OK, so, I’m requesting you and L-B collaborate, write up a pattern and sell it. I will buy the first one. I am certain my local yarn store will buy 10 more … OK, so, I’m begging, just consider it, ok?

Well. A wheel. Mazeltov! Good thing you are taking a week off to help make Katerina feel comfortable at your place … and most likely, work her ass off. *lol*

BEautiful spindles, fiber, yarn, et al.

A plea: I know you said the shawl is L-B’s made up pattern easy as pahhhhhhhhhhhh … but for beginners like myself who have decided they MUST try to make their first shawl … inspired by yours … might L-B sell a pattern that detailed that simplistic process? And might yourself make a reco (priced or not) as to how to put a shwl like the one you’re making together …yardage and all?

OK, so, I’m requesting you and L-B collaborate, write up a pattern and sell it. I will buy the first one. I am certain my local yarn store will buy 10 more … OK, so, I’m begging, just consider it, ok?

Well. A wheel. Mazeltov! Good thing you are taking a week off to help make Katerina feel comfortable at your place … and most likely, work her ass off. *lol*

BEautiful spindles, fiber, yarn, et al.

A plea: I know you said the shawl is L-B’s made up pattern easy as pahhhhhhhhhhhh … but for beginners like myself who have decided they MUST try to make their first shawl … inspired by yours … might L-B sell a pattern that detailed that simplistic process? And might yourself make a reco (priced or not) as to how to put a shwl like the one you’re making together …yardage and all?

OK, so, I’m requesting you and L-B collaborate, write up a pattern and sell it. I will buy the first one. I am certain my local yarn store will buy 10 more … OK, so, I’m begging, just consider it, ok?

A wheel, YAAAY!! Plus its a Kromski, a minstrel no less…..I have had one for about 3 years now and I adore it. It has always been patient with me as I have learned the ways of spinning-plus- it looks good even when you are not using it!
A charming wheel for sure.
Happy spinning!
Ps. Assembly is no problem at all.

Just wanted to say hi! I’ve just started reading your blog, and I’m having a great time drooooling over the monitor at allthe pretty pictures. I have a himmy too! His name is Sheldon and he’s a flame point. 🙂 Keep up the great blog!

Hi Wendy, I’m Shawn (with the braid) from the KR Retreat. Becky and I had the room next to you.

I had only read blogs once or 2ce before; but all the talk of them at KRR got me interested. I enjoy reading yours and I don’t think you have too much about your cat on there. If I knew more about computers and had the equipment, I would post pictures of my cat, Harry.

The multi-directional diagonal scarf is wonderful. I printed the pattern and started it the other night. Very, very cool. I’m using Noro, too.

I’m glad you ordered a spinning wheel. I hope it provides you with a lifetime of joy. I have one of those bumperstickers that says “I Spin Therefore I Am”.

Your spinning looks so nice and even and smooth! How can you settle on a name without getting your hands on it? I have also noticed a trend in the names – there are quite a few Russian names – Sonia, Anya, Katarina (Yekatarina), Lara – Is there something going on? (This is coming from an Annushka)

You have, as they say, come a long way, baby. I’m so impressed with the change in just two short weeks. I haven’t spun in years but it sure looks to me like you’ve got the hang of it and been bitten by it real good. And the shawl! My stuff is still in the bags it came home in.

Wendy! It never ceases to amaze me how you grasp onto a new endeaver and run with it. Your spinning is wonderful already. Welcome to the world of spinning. I’m sure you’ll perfect it and go beyond…I’m also sure that you have a book in you waiting to emerge…spinning/knitting…Best, Carolyn H in CT

I have a minstrel, in mahogany. I named her Rosalina because of her rosy color. I’m still a very beginner spinner, but I love my wheel. She sits in the corner of my hearth in the living room, near my favorite chair. She’s a feast for the eyes, and fun to spin on. My only concern is that she is not the quietest wheel around, which makes her stand out at spinning guild meetings. I still have a little clatter up in the flyer end, and a soft creak in the treadle that tend to annoy people at times. At home, it doesn’t bother me because it helps me keep my rhythm. Enjoy!

All graphics, patterns, text, and content on this site are the sole property of Wendy D. JohnsonCopyright (c) 2002-2018 Wendy D. Johnson
Not to be reproduced in any form without written permission from Wendy D. Johnson